Automobile engine warmer



July 18, 1950 l. v. MICHAL 2,515,659

AUTOHQBILE ENGINE WARMER Filed my e, 1949 Patented July 18, 1950 7U11-Jil TED STATES PATENT AOFF ICE -IAU-I'UMOBIIQE ENGINE'WABLIER lieon V.Michal, Lincoln, Nebr. lplicati'on hy-:6, 1949,:Serial'Nof91`78 ,l 1 Claim.

This invention relatesito .thermostatically-'oontrolled infra-red heaters adapted 'for use under the hood'ioff'anzautomobile tolmaintainvtlie engine dn fcon'dititmfor fready: starting 'during' peri- 7rioni-uae offtheiautomobilein severely-'cold weather;

xltfis raniobiect of f-this invention to'provide a readily portable unitary assembly for placing under 'the =hood of 'an :automobile vand adjacent the engineioffthefautomobilejand withthe unitary assemblyoomprislnganinfra-'redfheateriand tlwrmostatix: 'control means within a protective and 'heat -reflecting anl directing casing.

Itlis-'afurther object of thisinvention to Aprovide ia A118111. Fand 'portable miita'ry asse'nbly -c'omprisingan infraredlhe'ater ofthe reecting type disposed `within 'a protective and with thermostatic'bontrolimeahs -falso carried by the casin'g and fdiiilnos'e'cli cooperative th'e'rewitnso' that theoontrlmeans areresponsive to the temperature\of the-air immediatelysurroundin'g thesca'sing and relatively unresponsive "to direct or Ire- 'ected rays fromthe heater.

'It is a furtherobiectdf Ethis linvention to provideJ a 'imitar-yassembly -comprising a -casing -and a heater 'andits thermostatic-control within the easing, ltog'ether `with 'means -on the casing for readilyiattachingthe assembly-to any convenient support on, or ajacentto thee'n'gin'e of an automobile.

Tt is a further object o'f thisinvention to "providea unitary 'assembly comprising a casing-and a 1heater and 'its thermostatic A control within the casinLfa'power'cable anchored at'one-'en'd tothe assembly, 'means-:on 'the casing for readily attaching 'to A'assembly to 'any Jconvenient SulrJi-.io'rt on, or adjacent to the engine of an automobile, and withthe attaching means disposed on the casing to mitigate the eect -of an accidental pull on the power cable while the casing is athkihe'd ifheconvliien't 'Support iniSe.

Other and further objects will -a'ppear 'herein In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic 4sketch indicating the .association of the warmer with the engine of an'automobil'e. 1

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of vthe warmer,'with parts broken and with pat'sin section.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the warmer, and Figure 4 is a rear elevational view.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic showing of the electric circuit of the warmer.

As shown in Figure 1, an elongated truncated conical casing I0, substantially open at both ends,

'2 hasaninternalspartition member AI I. onwhich is=supported1a lamp socket I2. The member I-I divides `the Iinteriorof the lcasing into a front portion land 'alrear portion, and the front face of the member II hasfa heat reflecting surface. indicated at i3.

A conventional type of infra-red lam'p Il is spportedin the lamp socket I2, and the lamp is of a type which emits the .-greater part of its output as -infra-red rays but also emits enough useful light rays for a .purpose to be discussed later-herein. The lamp includes a lament I5, and an interior Y'reflecting surface indicated atIG, and has asuitable diilusing surface at its frontiend.

Aibead I1 -is formed in the wall of the .casing III, and a protective wire guard I8 has vresilient clips I9 vwhich rictionally engage the bead.

-ilciiacentltlie frontend of the casing the wall ofithe casing is Icorrugated at 20 to stillen the wall 'of the casing-and to also-provide an interior curved 'surface 2| which tends to reflect -rays from the lamp in a forward direction. In the rear portion of "the casing I0. the wall of the casing iscorrugated at 22, to stillen the wall of lsie casing. and 15o-define an internal abutment AI: the rear en'd of "the-casing I 0, there is disposed a block 2'4, of low heat conductivity, and suitably secured to the wall of the casing. The block is recessedto l'receive a portion 25.-of a conventional thermostatic switch 26, of the bimetalli'c operator type, and the casing of the switch is suitably secured to the block 24. A rcarwardly'extending and exposed portion-21 of the switch 28 contains the bimetallic operator, and la manually operable Alever-28, extends outwardly-of the portion 21 so that the switch 2B may be adjusted 1to close when a certain low temperature is reached, and to open when a certain higher 'temperature is reached. The switch contacts proper, indicated at12'9 are housed in the portion 25, and the rear and forwardportions 'of the switch are substantially separated from each other by apartition member. indicated 'at 30, and through whicha small operating rod'extends. Thus =the interior of'the portion 25 .practically sealed'against'ingres's of vapors to 'the switch cbnt'acts'29, 'and'the 'portion 25 is substantially protected against damage by being housed in the block 24.

Wires 3| and 32 connect the contacts 29 to the lamp socket and to a cable 33, respectively. The cable 33 extends through the block 24, and is provided with a conventional connector 34 for 3 connection to a power outlet. A metallic ring 35 is clamped about the cable 33 and the block 24 forms an abutment or stop to prevent the cable being pulled through the block rearwardly, and so prevent undue strain on the wires in the casing.

Suitably secured to the casing I0, is a pair of spaced opposed and upstanding support members 38, which are apertured near their free ends to provide a seat for a ball member 36'. Suitable means, such as a threaded bolt and nut assembly 31, with the bolt passing through the members 38, provide for holding the members 3B in clamping relation to the ball 36'. The ball 3B f is a part connecting a pair of clamping arms 38, which clamp a coiled portion 39 connecting a pair of wire arms 40, which have their free ends bent to define a pair of spaced opposed clamping 4 means for fastening the assembly to the radiate rod, or other suitable support under the hood, are secured to the casing well toward the rear end of the casing, so that when the assembly is in use with the front end pointing downward some of the accidental pull is taken up in turning the assembly to a horizontal position.

The internal diameter of the casing I0, adjacent the large end of the lamp is such that there is ample clearance between thevlamp and the casing to guard the lamp against injury should the casing be accidentally pulled from its support under the hood.

It is obvious that the casing l may be made of two portions, namely, a, front portion includin'g the partition member, and a second con- -nected rear portion housing the thermostatic J'aws 4I. The free ends are covered with suitable A friction surface means such as rubber tubing. The arms 40 are adapted to be squeezed together to open the jaws, so that the assembly may be clamped to a radiator rod, or some other suitable support under the hood of an automobile engine when the arms 40 are released. 25 an automobile 81181116, Seid unitary assembly'com- When the unitary assembly is to be installed prising an elongated tubular casing substantiallyunder the hood of the engine, the user may rst open at both ends, an internal barrier member move the lever 28 to switch on the lamp I4, so in said casing arranged dividing said tubularthat he will have enough light to work by, and casing into front and rear portions,respectively,. have enough heat to warm chilled nngers while 30 and arranged to provide a substantial barrier he is fastening the assembly to a suitable supagainst the movement of air currents from the port. When the assembly has been installed front to the rear portion of said tubular casing.' he then moves the lever 28 to its normal operatan electric heater disposed in the front portion ing position to set the thermostatic switch for oi! said tubular casing, a casing housing atherthe purpose of maintaining a desired temperamostatic switch assembly and having a, partition ture of the parts to be heated, and a desired member dividing said switch casing into front temperature of the air under the hood so the and rear portions, respectively, switch contact engine will start readily on a cold morning. He elements disposed within the front portion of4 may also, of course, move the lever 28 to switch said switch casing, tempertaure responsive means on the lamp to have the benet of heat on his 40 disposed in the rear portion of said switch casfingers, and yet enough light to work by in making and cooperably connected with said switch ing adjustments about the engine in severely cold contacts, means supporting said thermostatic weather. switch assembly arranged to substantially isolate It will now be evident that in the unitary assaid switch assembly from conduction and consembly herein described, the thermostatic switch vection heat currents from said heater incidentis isolated from the direct rays of the lamp I4, to the use oi' the unitary heating assembly in a and from reected rays from reflecting parts of conned space whereby said switch assembly is the engine adjacent the front end of the assemresponsive only to the ambient temperature ofbly. It is also insulated from heat by conduction the air in the conned space, said means comfrom the casing l0, and it is also practically prising a block of insulating material secured to isolated from air convection currents through the the wall of said tubular casing and in the rear casing. portion of said tubular casing vanc'l longitudi- The thermostatic switch will, therefore, re- Bally spaced I'Om Said barrier, Said block being spond only to the ambient temperature of the provided with means denning areal'wal'dly Openair under the nood, and the possibility of its ing recess receiving the front portion of said "hunting due to its being affected by reflected switch casing in supporting and protecting relarays is entirely eliminated. tion.

The unitary assembly is also applicable to LEON V. MICHAL. tractors when a blanket or other suitable covering i's thrown over the engine, and it is appli- 6o REFERENCES CITED cable to cars left standing outside and without The following references are of record in the the protection of a garage. le of this patent:

Should anyone trip over the cable 33 when the assembly is in use, the unusual pull on the UNITED STATES PATENTS. cable will not disturb the connections to the Number Name Date lamp because the anchor ring 35 abuts the block l,058,442 Kenyon Apr. 8, 1913` 24, and is adapted to cooperate therewith to pre- 1,622,326 Lister Mar. 29, 1927 vent the cable being pulled through the bore 1,917,141 Middleton July 4, 1933 .in the block. It will also be noted that the switch and formed of some thermoplastic material, while retaining the feature of isolating the other heater 

